• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.103-122
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to analyze the sentences related with mathematical modeling in the third and fourth grade mathematics textbooks in accordance with changing of Korean mathematics curricula. In the preliminary analysis, the researchers used the criteria that Kim(2010) had analyzed Mathematics in Context[MiC], and analyzed South Korean textbooks from the perspective of mathematical modeling. The researchers revised them for the analysis criteria among South Korean elementary mathematics textbooks and employed them as the analysis framework of the present study. From the mathematical modeling perspective, the study reached the following conclusions in accordance with the change of textbooks from the 7th curriculum to the 2009 revised curriculum. The contexts of real-world situations presented in the textbooks are increased in all areas except Probability and Statistics areas, the methods of expression of mathematical model are diversified in all areas except Patterns area, and the communication types are also diversified and frequencies increased in all areas except Patterns area. Based on this research, several suggestions were made for the development of future textbooks.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.629-639
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• 2011

Currently science and technology are changing so fast and college mathematics becomes more and more important. But the downturn of freshmen's scholastic performance has been intensified and this phenomenon leads to serious problems in managing college curriculums. During the recent years at a middle level engineering college, many freshmen had a lot of difficulties in their mathematics courses. In consequence, many of them had hard time to survive at their major curriculums. In this point of view, we analyse the situation of mathematical scholastic ability among engineering majored freshmen through the research on the actual state of mathematical background, mathematical scholastic ability test, college mathematics scores, and scholastic aptitude test scores. We study the relation between the mathematics score of scholastic aptitude test for the college entrance and mathematical scholastic ability of freshmen of a middle level engineering college. From this study we conclude that the essential reasons for the above situations are the curriculum of middle school mathematics and the system of scholastic aptitude test and the entrance examination of university. In order for improving mathematical accomplishment. we give suggestions such as a learning ability improvement program in mathematics.

• School Mathematics
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.327-352
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• 2007

The Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation(KICE) has carried out the research on the development of the standards on teaching evaluation between 2004 and 2006, and particularly on the 'mathematics' teaching evaluation in 2006. The purpose of development of mathematics teaching evaluation standards is to improve not only mathematics teachers' professionalism but also their own teaching methods or strategies. The standards on mathematics teaching evaluation were developed based on the standards on general (not individual subject) teaching evaluation. They were revised and modified by analyzing the results of the interviews and survey with teachers about the adaptability of the standards in school. The standards were classified into four major areas of knowledge, planning, practice, and professionalism. Each area of these four were categorized into 6 smaller divisions and 36 elements. In addition, it was presented that brief descriptions on each teaching evaluation standards(element), guideline for evaluation methods, evaluator's observation index, and performance level with explanation for the standard achievement in four stages.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.393-407
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• 2009

In this article the definition of similarity and its introduction in Korean middle school textbooks based on the 7th national curriculum are analysed critically. As a result four suggestions are presented. First, on the consideration that the contents related with similarity has been removed in the elementary school curriculum, the meaning of 'constant rate' needs to be understood through the rich experience of drawing enlarged/reduced figures when similarity is introduced in middle school, Second, there are two different ways in enlargement/reduction of figures and in the definition of similarity. Teachers have to keep the limitations of the two ways in mind. Third, the activity of drawing similar figures in enlarged/reduced squared paper needs to be practiced. Last, on 'the relation of similarity' which is in the definition of similarity, it has to be examined whether 'similarity' should be presented in the documents of the national curriculum as a term.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.899-925
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine how constructive-response questions in regular test was in aligned with the nature and goals of 2007 Curriculum Amendment. For this purpose, data were collected and analysed by using the framework for mathematical task and the cognitive demand of tasks suggested by Smith & Stein(1998) and mathematical proficiency suggested by National Research Council(2001). In particular, it aimed to reveal the overall picture of the level of cognitive demand and the proportion of mathematical proficiency of constructed-response items created by secondary mathematics teachers. The findings from the analysis showed that 70 percent of the constructed-response items were at low-level and the rest at high-level in terms of cognitive demand. Also, the constructed-response assessment focused on conputing (89%), understanding(45%), applying(30%) and least reasoning(17%). Most of the constructed-response items included computing and were algorithmic.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.51-66
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• 2012

This study investigated the impact of entry level of mathematics subject knowledge on student teachers' mathematics pedagogical content knowledge development and performance in mathematics teaching practice. The sample consisted of 24 mathematics student teachers, 12 of whom passed A-Level mathematics and 12 of whom only passed O-level mathematics. They were all studying in a 4-year bachelor of education (Honours/Primary) programme; they were either majoring or minoring in mathematics. Results showed that student teachers' entry-level mathematics subject knowledge is not related to their mathematics pedagogical content knowledge development or their mathematics teaching performance. These findings may lead society to consider whether student teachers who have passed O-level mathematics are already eligible to be trained as professional primary mathematics teachers. As a consequence, this study raises the issues of how to develop student teachers' mathematics pedagogical content knowledge and whether we need to restructure our bachelor of education (Primary) programmes' curriculum in teacher professionalism.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.389-406
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to understand the learning mathematics in elementary mathematics classroom by considering mathematics as a kind of social practices and mathematics classroom as a kind of community of practice. The research questions of this study are as followings: 1) Do the identities which teacher has on mathematics and teaching mathematics, influence the social practices formed in mathematics classroom, and the identities which students has on mathematics and learning mathematics? 2) Do the social practices formed in mathematics classroom, and the identities which students has on mathematics and learning mathematics, influence the identities which teacher has on mathematics and teaching mathematics? This study was based on ethnomethodology. It was executed participation observations, interviews and surveys with teacher and 5 graders to collect the data for the social practices formed their classroom and their identities, and was analyzed the interaction between the social practices of mathematics classroom and teacher and students' identities. We found the scenes that teacher's identities influenced the social practices of mathematics classroom and students' identities, and also the scenes that the social practices of mathematics classroom and students' identities influenced teacher's identities. So, we could know that there existed the interaction between the social practices of mathematics classroom and teacher and students' identities.

• School Mathematics
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.401-422
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• 2008

In the current school curriculum, an alternative assessment method which focuses more on the problem solving process rather than the final solution is being investigated. The goal is to evaluate students' understanding of the subject. A descriptive evaluation is being suggested as a way of examining the thought process of the students by a structured analysis of the problem solving process. But currently, there are not enough descriptive problems available for teachers to effectively carry out the alternative assessment method in the elementary school mathematics curriculum. In this research, we surveyed 197 elementary school teachers in Seoul to determine the status of descriptive evaluation in elementary school mathematics and to understand the teachers perception about the new assessment method. The goal of the survey was to find an effective implication of the new assessment method in elementary mathematics classes. The research showed that the elementary teachers use this assessment method about 4 to 7 times per month in their classes. They give descriptive problem test anytime they think it is appropriate during the Instruction of the topic. More than 90% of the teachers were using this assessment method to improve students' creativity and mathematical thinking. The teachers in the survey also commented that the teachers' administrative responsibility should be reduced and that the school environment in general should be improved for the new assessment method to be successful. Finally the study also showed that development of more descriptive problems in each grade level is needed to progress the new assessment method.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.99-121
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• 2009

This study analyzed the difficulty trend of item which are common with TIMSS 1999, 2003, 2007 and are released since TIMSS 2007. The results show that the 7th curriculum has positive effects on the students' achievement in the domain such as spatial sense of rotation, ratio proportion percent, pattern, calculation of decimal numbers, concept of angle, area of triangle, and qualitative approach to graph. And the results leaved the consideration for the process of scoring, teaching method of statistical probability concept, and making table as a problem solving method.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.20 no.4 s.28
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• pp.503-521
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• 2006

'Calculus for Life Science' is one of the calculus courses for students majoring life science in Seoul National University. Contrary to the other calculus courses for students in natural sciences and engineerings, in 'Calculus for life Science' we have primarily chosen computer-based curriculum that is useful to life science and so we have tried to fulfill the requirements of the students majoring life science. Like this, we are of the opinion that there are diverse requirements in life science as well as other majors in basic mathematical education of the university. Upon this view, in this research, we consider the present conditions, the points at issue and study improvements of them. In section II and III, we introduce briefly the present 'Calculus for Life Science' focused on the curriculum. In section IV, according to the course evaluations and questionnaire, we make an analysis of the present condition and the points at issue of 'Calculus for Life Science'. In section V and VI, we present the improvements of the curriculum and the several education environments.